The UK and US urged Yemen’s Houthi rebels to stop targeting Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, following an increase in missile and drone attacks targeting civilian population centres.
A ballistic missile launched by the rebels targeting Riyadh was intercepted by the kingdom's air defence forces late on Monday.
Residents said they heard a loud bang and videos on social media purporting to be from the city showed glowing orbs lighting up the sky as the missile was intercepted by surface-to-air Saudi missiles.
“The Houthis have once again targeted Riyadh with ballistic missiles. Such attacks must stop, now,” James Cleverly, the UK’s Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.
The UK will continue to support Saudi Arabia’s sovereign right to defend itself against such aggression, he said.
“The Houthis and their reprehensible activity, their reprehensible behaviour, have helped unite the world against them,” Mr Cleverly said.
His comments came as Washington condemned the continuous attacks.
“We strongly condemn yesterday’s attacks by Houthi forces against Saudi Arabia that endangered civilians in and around Riyadh,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.
The attacks also “threatened Aramco facilities with unmanned aerial systems and ballistic missiles,” Mr Price said.
In retaliation for the attacks, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels in Yemen said on Tuesday it had launched air raids against targets in the country's capital Sanaa.
The raids destroyed a Houthi missile launch site.
Dozens of Yemeni citizens who had worked at the US embassy in Sanaa in a caretaker capacity since the embassy closed in 2015 were detained by the rebels last month.
“The Houthis must immediately release unharmed all Yemeni employees of the United States, vacate the embassy compound, return seized property, and cease their threats,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter.
The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa, which they seized in 2014.
The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen a year later to support the government, in a conflict that has left tens of thousands dead and millions displaced.
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Scores
Oman 109-3 in 18.4 overs (Aqib Ilyas 45 not out, Aamir Kaleem 27) beat UAE 108-9 in 20 overs (Usman 27, Mustafa 24, Fayyaz 3-16, Bilal 3-23)
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
Match statistics
Dubai Sports City Eagles 8 Dubai Exiles 85
Eagles
Try: Bailey
Pen: Carey
Exiles
Tries: Botes 3, Sackmann 2, Fourie 2, Penalty, Walsh, Gairn, Crossley, Stubbs
Cons: Gerber 7
Pens: Gerber 3
Man of the match: Tomas Sackmann (Exiles)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
